SB955 RELATING TO SHOOTING RANGE PROTECTION, is dead for the year unless Senate Judiciary Chair, Senator Gilbert Keith-Agaran, schedules it by 9:15am Monday, March 2nd, for a hearing 9:15am on March 4th.

Please e-mail or fax Chair Keith-Agaran and follow up with a phone call early Monday morning to very politely ask him to please hear this bill to protect the only public shooting range on Oahu and other ranges throughout the State from nuisance lawsuits. Government and private security companies need ranges as well as civilians.

SB 473, SD1, proposing carry permit issue rules under the Federal retired Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA), has a hearing, Tuesday, 02-24 at 9:15AM. The Senate Public Safety Committee gutted the original version and replaced it with the language proposed by the Hawaii Attorney General's office, renewing the AG's complete authority over the administration of the permit process. The onerous qualification requirements currently established by the AG, like a perfect score on the shooting practical examination and a complete physical examination at the expense of the applicant, are why only about 40 retired officers in the whole of Hawaii have carry licenses at present. PLEASE GO TO THE HEARING NOTICE BELOW, SUBMIT TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION to the current bill, and ask the Senate Judiciary Committee to instead write into Hawaii Statute a reasonable qualification process that fulfills the intent of this 12 year old Federal Act.

SB1071 authorizing the counties to issue firearms permits to permanent resident aliens passed the Senate Committee on Tourism and International Affairs, Chaired by Sen. Gil Kahele and Senate Public Safety, chaired by Sen. Will Espero, and moves on the Senate Judiciary Committee. MAHALO, SENATORS! If passed it will bring Hawaii's statutes into compliance with the US District Court Decision, and in line with US Code and most other state statutes.

SB 674, criminalizing ivory transfers, was deferred indefinitely (dead) yesterday in a Senate joint hearing. Testimony in strong opposition to the bill was received earlier from antique dealers and Hawaiian Heritage supporters. The Chair of Energy and Environment Committee, Sen. Mike Gabbard, said the Senators could not agree, but pointed out that the House version, HB837_HD1 is alive. That version moves on to F-rated Karl Rhoads' Judiciary Committee. Rep. Rhoads introduced it.

So don't relax! There are many important bills not yet heard, especially coming up in F-rated Chair, Karl Rhoad's House Judiciary Committee. Please help get the goods bills through the rest of the session and stop the bad ones. The Legislature has finished its first quarter. All bills referred to 2 or more committees in the originating body that have not passed to the last committee, like HB402, are dead (but can be resurrected).

SB1071 allows police to issue permits to acquire firearms to legal permanent resident aliens. Judge J. Michael Seabright of the US District Court for Hawaii in Fotoudas vs Kealoha et al, Sept. 2014, held them protected under the 2nd and 14th Amendments and has ordered that the counties accept their applications for permits pursuant to HRS 134-2(d). HPD is already issuing permits to them. The bill is part of the Governor's package.

HRA SUPPORTS. Australian Steve Fotoudis and many others like him are permanent residents of Hawaii, possess a "green card" and desire to become naturalized US Citizens. They have passed stringent background checks to enter the U.S. and are subject to the same HRS 134 requirements for permits as Citizens.

The language in the bill about non-resident aliens is just "housekeeping" to clarify terminology in a statute passed years ago. Legal non-resident aliens with visas may apply for and receive permits for bona fide hunting, target shooting events and law enforcement employment, for a limited time period.

Please submit testimony. Click on the bill number above for the bill history and text, and follow the prompts to enter your testimony. For it to count, please send it by 1:15 pm Wednesday, 2/19.

"More Guns, Less Crime" Prof. John Lott

Mahalo,

Dr. Maxwell Cooper

HRA Legislative Liaison

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